He actually said it out loud in Oz. Courier asked him why he couldn't play as well in a final as a semi and he said basically what you posted. But he has to get over it now as he is hiding behind it a bit now i suspect.So what we havent got a slam for 70 years but we have had them. And it didnt stop Virginia Wade did it?And she bagged Wimbledon also. its becoming a farcical situation if he cant play his best due to a little bit of history, what matters is now.

I just feel that people are different. It probably didn't bother Virginia Wade and I don't feel that back then, the pressure was quite as big as it is right now as you the Brits haven't seen success not only in tennis but in all aspects of general sports as well and they desperately need someone to set them free. And in that context, Andy feels like a scapegoat to me and as an outsider this is how I see things. Because if the same pressure was on me, I’d be set up for a much bigger failure and it’s simply because, I don't enjoy the fact at all that I’d be under the scrutiny of being a puppet of everyone else’s expectation and that every move I make would be magnified, judged and then finally, crucified.

Some may feel I am being selfish if I were to quit but it’s not me who’s being selfish but you, because let’s face it, you are pretty much expecting me to live up to your expectation and it’s because you yourself have failed to do so.

I don’t even know if Andy plays for himself anymore. It hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

(^^^^ by you I didn't mean you Bill of course but just the general notion)

I just feel that people are different. It probably didn't bother Virginia Wade and I don't feel that back then, the pressure was quite as big as it is right now as you the Brits haven't seen success not only in tennis but in all aspects of general sports as well and they desperately need someone to set them free. And in that context, Andy feels like a scapegoat to me and as an outsider this is how I see things. Because if the same pressure was on me, I’d be set up for a much bigger failure and it’s simply because, I don't enjoy the fact at all that I’d be under the scrutiny of being a puppet of everyone else’s expectation and that every move I make would be magnified, judged and then finally, crucified.

Some may feel I am being selfish if I were to quit but it’s not me who’s being selfish but you, because let’s face it, you are pretty much expecting me to live up to your expectation and it’s because you yourself have failed to do so.

I don’t even know if Andy plays for himself anymore. It hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

(^^^^ by you I didn't mean you Bill of course but just the general notion)

The key to this is that he simply drops it as an issue.i never get the feeling that Rafa or Roger play for Spain and SwitzerlandTennis players aren't even in a team and yes Andy occasionally has to play for his country, as he does this summer. But in general he really is out there on his own. Maybe if he was just playing for Scotland in the way Djokovic is just playing for serbia then it would be easier as Novak seems to thrive on national support of a small country. But when all is said and done its only Andy and whoever he is playing that is on the court. Thats enough to be thinking about.

The key to this is that he simply drops it as an issue.i never get the feeling that Rafa or Roger play for Spain and SwitzerlandTennis players aren't even in a team and yes Andy occasionally has to play for his country, as he does this summer. But in general he really is out there on his own. Maybe if he was just playing for Scotland in the way Djokovic is just playing for serbia then it would be easier as Novak seems to thrive on national support of a small country. But when all is said and done its only Andy and whoever he is playing that is on the court. Thats enough to be thinking about.

He'll have to find a way of course because whether he enjoys it now or not, he's here. It's a very crucial situation for him. If he doesn't go on to win one, he'll be regarded as the coward of the century and if he does win, then of course he'll be the hero of the century. It's the extreme nature of the situation that I guess bothers him and me the most. It's the love and sincerity of it all that should be questioned. Does a parent hate his/her children if they don't do what they are told or if they can't live up to their expectations? I doubt it - perhaps in some extreme cases but typically not. But here, Andy has no excuses. He simply can't afford one. His country and its people will not accept/tolerate any excuses and the love will be forever lost or will be replaced by hate if he doesn't do what he's set out to do. I am seeing this element already now that he's turned 25 and still without a Slam. The impatience is growing in an alarming way and the pressure is only mounting.

As to the country itself, I cannot tell you how complex this country is. All other countries you've mentioned are either very new to the world or they have always remained neutral and that makes a huge difference. And Spain has always been in the sports news. Every decade has seen several players who won majors at least on clay so Nadal was never under pressure to win one after a certain amount of years. It’s just not a fair comparison any way you look at it.

I have no idea why is it that when I clearly want to write ‘sincerity’ but I end up writing ‘sincerely’. It happens all the time. I am thinking something but I am writing something else. Mind boggling. I hate it because it changes the whole bloody meaning and I am not known for editing.

True, Spain has a history of tennis greats to help with shouldering the mantle.But all of this must be firewalled now as it simply doesnt help him. It only could help him in Wimbledon and i have not seen any great support for him there either. We are speculating how much this affects him and he has stated that the pressure from home doesn't bother him, but at the end of the day if it isn't going to assist him then he needs to try & pretend it doesn't exist & take a more harshly individualistic approach as is required by the sport he plays anyway.Not easy but there it is.In the UK also I've noticed more general & vague support for Andy and kinder newspaper reports, maybe with the improvements he has made in his on court demeanour this will improve futher. Probably will. I doubt anyone will crucify him now EJ after bad results as they are used to his implosions and expectations have probably changed. I would wager that most people arent too bothered either way who arent his fans, or his enemies as Tennis only really matters come Wimbledon time for most people here.It has settled down quite a bit & isnt quite the dramaticnarrative that you are portraying.

theycanbillme: Nole isn't on his own in the big, bad tennis world is he though? Must make a heck of a difference. I think this is why Andy has such a close team, a kind of security blanket, people to talk to in his own language even.Even Fed has a couple of little lap dogs to talk to and beat up, every now and then

True, Spain has a history of tennis greats to help with shouldering the mantle.But all of this must be firewalled now as it simply doesnt help him. It only could help him in Wimbledon and i have not seen any great support for him there either. We are speculating how much this affects him and he has stated that the pressure from home doesn't bother him, but at the end of the day if it isn't going to assist him then he needs to try & pretend it doesn't exist & take a more harshly individualistic approach as is required by the sport he plays anyway. Not easy but there it is.

In the UK also I've noticed more general & vague support for Andy and kinder newspaper reports, maybe with the improvements he has made in his on court demeanour this will improve futher. Probably will. I doubt anyone will crucify him now EJ after bad results as they are used to his implosions and expectations have probably changed. I would wager that most people arent too bothered either way who arent his fans, or his enemies as Tennis only really matters come Wimbledon time for most people here.It has settled down quite a bit & isnt quite the dramatic narrative that you are portraying.

He's lying through his teeth or better yet, what else is he supposed to say that it does affect him? Wouldn't that create another sets of controversies? We all know what happens in the final. He himself admitted that his legs feel heavy and that he's unable to move as well as he normally does. The fear of failure and what other people think always creeps up as soon as he makes a final and I myself have noticed it. It’s all there for everyone to see. I mean three straight sets losses should be enough of an example. He can't even find the court at times because it feels so small. What do you think those are all about? I can already feel how he feels mentally and those are just some of the physical symptoms.

The problem is what he’s expected to do and never what he can or can’t do.

I mean a lot was expected from Nalbandian as well but they guy has won 11 titles in 12 years and I don't see anyone really hating him for his shortcomings but with Andy, every time he loses, it's just another story – a complete write off most times. The expectation is there though perhaps not to the extent I've dramatized it (lol) but you can't shrug it off and you certainly cannot say that it doesn't affect him.

theycanbillme: Nole isn't on his own in the big, bad tennis world is he though? Must make a heck of a difference. I think this is why Andy has such a close team, a kind of security blanket, people to talk to in his own language even.Even Fed has a couple of little lap dogs to talk to and beat up, every now and then

They (being the British commentators/pundits that hang around the big tournamnets) did mention at the US Open last year actually how much more relaxed he seemed compared to normal with Ross and Colin around, and how free he seemed to be playing.

It must be so much more enjoyable when you have got a few compatriots around to have a bit of a laugh with off-court.

Thing is though we're talking second weeks of Slams here. No other Brit is even close to the top 100, bad enough top 16.

theycanbillme: Nole isn't on his own in the big, bad tennis world is he though? Must make a heck of a difference. I think this is why Andy has such a close team, a kind of security blanket, people to talk to in his own language even.Even Fed has a couple of little lap dogs to talk to and beat up, every now and then

Excellent point. Serbia, even though a small country, has more steady tennis players than UK. And quite correct on the lap dogs. No one's alone out there like Andy. And also, both Nole and Fed are showboats. Andy isn’t anything like them. I am not sure if he even wants to be there in that way but he can always live like Pete, a quiet champion as I call it. Nadal isn’t as great an example though I know he is his true idol, but on court Rafa is quite different.

Michelle :you are dead right about theycallmebill he/she thinks she is the font of all knowledge any no one else is allowed to a different point of view. I do not reply to he/she because he/she is a know it all and a right pain in the ass.